Try this refreshing watermelon and cucumber salad while the sun is out

This easy, cooling salad is ideal for these last warm evenings before autumn, writes Ellie Krieger

Ginger’s enlivening zing counterbalances the watermelon’s sweetness (For The Washington Post)

This salad is a quadruple-threat of refreshment, with each of its four main elements offering a unique layer of quenching flavour.

At its base are two cooling food A-listers: chunks of juicy watermelon and crunchy cucumber. They are brought together in a lime and olive oil dressing that's spiked with another refreshing ingredient: freshly grated ginger. Ginger's enlivening zing counterbalances the watermelon's sweetness and bridges it to the more savoury cucumber, while torn mint leaves, tossed in at the end, add a fourth layer of cool freshness.

It's a salad that pairs especially well with a grilled protein slathered in barbecue sauce, because its flavours echo the sauce's fruity-savoury elements while offering a welcome, contrasting cool.

That, along with its bright festive look, make it on-point for that upcoming holiday cookout.

Watermelon and cucumber salad with ginger, lime and mint

Serves: 4

Time: 15 minutes

This salad is a quadruple-threat of refreshment with each of its four main elements – watermelon, cucumber, ginger and mint – offering a burst of lively, quenching flavour. It pairs especially well with a grilled protein slathered in barbecue sauce, because its flavours echo the sauce's sweet-fruity-savoury elements while offering a welcomed, contrasting cool.

Ingredients

570g diced watermelon

1 medium cucumber, trimmed, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch thick pieces

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt or table salt

30g fresh mint leaves, torn

Method

1. In a large bowl, toss the watermelon and cucumber until combined.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, ginger and salt until combined. Drizzle the dressing over the watermelon and cucumber and gently toss to coat, then add the mint. Gently toss to combine and serve.

Nutrition per serving (1 3/4 cups), based on 4 | Calories: 87; Total Fat: 4 g; Saturated Fat: 1g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 151 mg; Carbohydrates: 14 g; Dietary Fibre: 1 g; Sugar: 10 g; Protein: 1 g

This analysis is an estimate based on available ingredients and this preparation. It should not substitute for a dietitian's or nutritionist's advice.

From cookbook author and registered nutritionist Ellie Krieger.

© The Washington Post